What’s in Today’s Article?

• Judges’ Asset Disclosure India Latest News
• Supreme Court’s Position on Judges’ Asset Disclosure
• Situation in High Courts Regarding Judges’ Asset Disclosure
• Public Servants and Asset Disclosure
• Judges’ Asset Disclosure India FAQs

Judges’ Asset Disclosure India Latest News

• The discovery of large sums of cash at the residence of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma has raised concerns about corruption in India’s higher judiciary. 
• This incident has strengthened calls for public disclosure of judges’ assets and liabilities, which, unlike other public servants, they are not obligated to reveal—and most have not done so.

Supreme Court’s Position on Judges’ Asset Disclosure

• 1997 Resolution
  • In 1997, under then CJI J S Verma, the Supreme Court adopted a resolution requiring judges to declare their assets, including those of their spouses and dependents, to the Chief Justice. 
  • However, this did not mandate public disclosure.
• 2009 Resolution
  • In September 2009, the SC full Bench decided to publish judges' asset declarations on its website, but only on a voluntary basis. 
  • These disclosures appeared in November 2009, and some High Courts followed suit.
• Lack of Updates Since 2018
  • The SC website has not been updated since 2018. 
  • It only lists the judges who have submitted declarations to the CJI without publishing the actual disclosures. 
  • Former judges’ declarations have also been removed.
• 2019 RTI Case and SC Ruling
  • In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that judges' assets and liabilities do not qualify as “personal information.” 
  • This case originated from an RTI request filed in 2009 by an activist to verify if SC judges had disclosed their assets as per the 1997 resolution.

Situation in High Courts Regarding Judges’ Asset Disclosure

• Low Compliance with Public Disclosure
  • As of March 1, 2024, only 97 out of 770 High Court judges (less than 13%) have publicly declared their assets. 
  • These judges belong to seven High Courts: Delhi, Punjab & Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madras, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, and Karnataka. 
  • Most High Courts oppose public disclosure.
• Resistance from High Courts
  • In 2012, the Uttarakhand High Court passed a resolution strongly objecting to judges’ asset disclosure under the RTI Act.
  • The Allahabad High Court rejected an RTI request for judges' asset details, claiming it was outside the RTI Act’s scope.
  • Similar denials came from Rajasthan, Bombay, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gauhati, and Sikkim High Courts.
• Parliamentary Committee’s Recommendation
  • In 2023, Parliament’s Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, and Law and Justice recommended a law mandating the disclosure of Supreme Court and High Court judges’ assets. 
  • However, no legislative action has been taken so far.

Public Servants and Asset Disclosure

• Mandatory Asset Declarations
  • Unlike judges, most public servants are required to declare their assets, with this information often being publicly accessible. 
  • The RTI Act of 2005 has played a crucial role in ensuring transparency and accountability in government operations.
• RTI’s Role in Public Disclosure
  • Government officials must annually declare their assets to their respective cadre-controlling authorities, and in most cases, these details are available in the public domain. 
  • Several states, including Gujarat, Kerala, and Madhya Pradesh, have strict provisions mandating asset declarations by bureaucrats, which can be accessed through RTI applications.
• Ministers and MPs
  • Since 2009, it has become standard practice for Union Ministers, including the Prime Minister, to submit asset declarations to the PMO, which are accessible via its website. 
  • Many state governments have followed this practice. 
  • MPs submit their asset details to the Speaker (Lok Sabha) or Chairperson (Rajya Sabha), and while not publicly available by default, they can generally be accessed through RTI applications.
• Asset Disclosure for Election Candidates
  • Candidates contesting elections for Parliament, State Assemblies, or Legislative Councils must publicly declare their assets and liabilities as part of the nomination process.
  • This requirement was established by a 2002 Supreme Court ruling mandating asset disclosure for electoral candidates.
  • These declarations are the most detailed among public servants, and even minor errors can lead to the rejection of a candidate’s nomination.

Judges’ Asset Disclosure India FAQs

Q1. Are Indian judges required to disclose their assets?

Ans. No, judges are not legally obligated to publicly disclose assets, though voluntary disclosures exist.

Q2. When did the Supreme Court adopt asset disclosure norms?

Ans. In 1997, the SC required judges to declare assets privately to the Chief Justice but did not mandate public disclosure.

Q3. What did the Supreme Court rule in the 2019 RTI case?

Ans. The SC ruled that judges' asset details are not "personal information" and should be disclosed under RTI.

Q4. How many High Court judges publicly disclosed assets in 2024?

Ans. As of March 1, 2024, only 97 of 770 judges (about 13%) have publicly declared their assets.

Q5. Do election candidates in India disclose assets?

Ans. Yes, candidates for Parliament and State Assemblies must declare assets and liabilities during nomination per a 2002 SC ruling.

Source: IE | ET

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Latest News
• Background
• About Black Spots
• Parliamentary Panel’s Findings: A Governance Failure
• Three-Tier Action Plan for Fixing Black Spots
• Need for Post-Implementation Audits
• MoRTH’s Targets and Reality
• Conclusion
• Black Spots on National Highways FAQs

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Latest News

• The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture has criticised the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for the persistent existence of accident-prone “black spots” on national highways (NHs).

Background

• India has one of the highest numbers of road accidents in the world. 
• A significant portion of these fatalities happen on national highways (NHs) due to poorly designed or managed road segments called “black spots”, specific locations where a high number of accidents and fatalities have been recorded over the years.
• Despite various efforts by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to reduce road deaths, a recent report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture reveals worrying gaps in execution.
• According to MoRTH’s own data, out of 13,795 black spots identified across India’s NHs, long-term rectification has been completed on only 5,036 spots. 
• This translates to a large number of dangerous zones still unaddressed, posing daily risks to drivers and pedestrians.

About Black Spots

• A “black spot” is a hazardous location on a national highway identified by the frequency and severity of road accidents, particularly those causing grievous injuries or deaths across three consecutive years. 
• These spots can occur due to poor road design, lack of signage, bad lighting, sharp curves, or congested junctions.

Parliamentary Panel’s Findings: A Governance Failure

• In a report related to the Demands for Grants for FY 2025-26, the parliamentary panel called the poor progress a “significant governance failure”. 
• It emphasised that these black spots represent preventable dangers that could be fixed with faster, coordinated intervention.
• The committee, led by Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, expressed deep concern about the mismatch between the ministry’s commitments and the reality on the ground.

Three-Tier Action Plan for Fixing Black Spots

• To address the issue, the panel has recommended a three-tier prioritisation framework based on:
  • Severity (how often and how serious the accidents are),
  • Complexity of the fix required, and
  • Population exposure (how many people use the spot regularly).
• The plan includes strict time-bound interventions:
  • Category A black spots (highest risk):
    • Temporary safety measures must be deployed immediately.
    • Permanent rectification must begin within 30 days of identification.
  • Category B black spots (moderate risk):
    • Must be fixed within 90 days.
  • Category C black spots (lower priority):
    • Deadline of 180 days.
    • Agencies that fail to meet the timelines should face penalties.

Need for Post-Implementation Audits

• The panel didn’t just focus on fixing black spots, it also highlighted the importance of follow-up.
  It recommended that safety audits be carried out at 3-month and 12-month intervals after rectification to ensure the solutions actually work.
• To promote accountability, the panel suggested creating a public dashboard that would show the status of each black spot, the progress of rectification, and the responsible implementing agency.

MoRTH’s Targets and Reality

• The ministry has set an ambitious goal to reduce road fatalities by 95% by 2028. 
• As part of this, it has committed to fixing 1,000 black spots in FY 2025–26 and eliminating all identified black spots by FY 2027-28 through better signage, road design, and junction management.
• However, the numbers so far reflect a lag in long-term fixes:

• Short-term solutions (like installing signage, speed breakers, or barriers) are often implemented, but long-term structural fixes, such as underpasses, road widening, or redesign—remain slow.

Conclusion

• Fixing black spots on national highways isn’t just a technical challenge, it’s a matter of saving lives. 
• The current pace of work is not in sync with the ministry’s stated ambitions. The parliamentary panel’s recommendations provide a clear and actionable path forward, focusing on urgency, accountability, and transparency.
• To truly make Indian roads safer, quick identification must be followed by equally fast execution, because behind every black spot, there’s a life that can be saved.

Black Spots on National Highways FAQs

Q1. What is a black spot on a national highway?

Ans. Black spot is a location with frequent fatal or serious accidents over three years.

Q2. How many black spots have been identified in India?

Ans. Total of 13,795 black spots have been identified so far on national highways.

Q3. What is the government’s target for black spot rectification?

Ans. MoRTH aims to fix 1,000 spots in FY26 and eliminate all by FY28.

Q4. What has the parliamentary panel recommended?

Ans. A three-tier action plan with 30-, 90-, and 180-day deadlines based on risk category.

Q5. How many black spots have received long-term fixes?

Ans. Only 5,036 black spots have been permanently rectified as per latest data.

Source: IE

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Myanmar Earthquake 2025 Latest News
• Cause of the Myanmar Earthquake
• Earthquake Frequency in Myanmar
• The Destructive Impact of Recent Earthquake
• Preparedness of Myanmar
• Myanmar Earthquake 2025 FAQs

Myanmar Earthquake 2025 Latest News

• A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28, causing buildings to collapse in Mandalay and bringing down a skyscraper under construction in Bangkok. 
• The quake, the strongest globally in two years, was followed by at least three aftershocks. The epicenter was 17.2 km from Mandalay at a shallow depth of 10 km.

Cause of the Myanmar Earthquake

• The Earth's lithosphere consists of tectonic plates that have been moving for billions of years. 
• Earthquakes occur when these plates suddenly slip past each other, releasing stored energy as seismic waves, causing the ground to shake.

Strike-Slip Faulting

• The Myanmar earthquake was caused by strike-slip faulting between the Indian and Eurasian plates, where the plates moved sideways against each other.

The Sagaing Fault

• The earthquake occurred on the Sagaing Fault, a north-south fault line in Myanmar known for seismic activity. 
• This fault marks the boundary between the Indian plate (moving north) and the Eurasian plate. 
• The movement along this fault triggered the earthquake.

Earthquake Frequency in Myanmar

• Myanmar frequently experiences earthquakes due to the Sagaing Fault. 
• Since 1900, at least six earthquakes of magnitude greater than 7 have occurred near this fault, according to USGS data.

Notable Earthquakes

• January 1990 (Magnitude 7.0)
• February 1912 (Magnitude 7.9): Occurred just south of the epicenter of the recent quake.
• 2016 (Magnitude 6.9): Struck in roughly the same area.

Major Earthquakes in the Last Century

• Over the past 100 years, Myanmar has witnessed 14 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above.

The 1839 Catastrophic Earthquake

• One of the worst earthquakes in the region occurred in 1839, estimated at magnitude 8.3. 
• This event is considered the best recent analogue for the March 28, 2025, earthquake.

The Destructive Impact of Recent Earthquake

• Largest Quake in Decades
  • The recent 7.7-magnitude earthquake was likely the strongest in Myanmar’s mainland in 75 years. 
  • Previous significant quakes caused casualties but were less severe.
• Shallow Depth Intensified Damage
  • The quake occurred at a shallow depth of just 10 km, meaning the seismic shockwaves did not dissipate before reaching the surface. 
  • This resulted in stronger ground shaking and greater structural damage.
• Widespread Impact Beyond Epicenter
  • Experts emphasized that seismic waves radiate from the entire fault line, not just the epicenter, affecting a much larger area.

Preparedness of Myanmar

• High Fatality and Economic Risk
  • The USGS Earthquake Hazards Program estimated potential fatalities between 10,000 and 100,000, with economic losses possibly reaching 70% of Myanmar’s GDP.
• Infrastructure Not Built for Large Quakes
  • Myanmar has not experienced a major earthquake in this region since 1956, leading to poor seismic preparedness. 
  • Buildings, especially in densely populated Mandalay, were not designed to withstand such powerful tremors.
• Geographic Factors
  • Most earthquakes in Myanmar occur west of the Sagaing Fault, while this one struck the central region, which is less accustomed to high-magnitude quakes, further worsening the impact.

Myanmar Earthquake 2025 FAQs

Q1. What caused the Myanmar earthquake in 2025?

Ans. It resulted from strike-slip faulting along the Sagaing Fault due to movement between the Indian and Eurasian plates.

Q2. How strong was the Myanmar earthquake in 2025?

Ans. It was a 7.7-magnitude quake, the strongest in Myanmar’s mainland in 75 years.

Q3. Why was the Myanmar earthquake so destructive?

Ans. The shallow depth (10 km) intensified shaking, causing severe structural damage in Mandalay and beyond.

Q4. How often do earthquakes occur in Myanmar?

Ans. Myanmar frequently experiences earthquakes; since 1900, at least six magnitude 7+ quakes have occurred near the Sagaing Fault.

Q5. What are Myanmar’s earthquake preparedness challenges?

Ans. Myanmar lacks strong seismic infrastructure, making buildings vulnerable to major quakes..

Source: IE | TH | NDTV