Rajya Sabha Passes Judicial Accountability Bill

• Currently, judges for the higher judiciary are appointed by a Supreme Court collegium of five judges headed by the Chief Justice, a system implemented two decades ago.

• The proposed commission will be headed by the Chief Justice and have the two most senior judges of the Supreme Court, the Law Minister and two eminent persons as members and Secretary (Justice) in the Law Ministry as Convener.

• The government had said the current system of appointing judges was flawed and had led to a huge shortfall in courts across the country.

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant gets FAC by AERB

Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has given its nod for controlled fission process or “First Approach to Criticality” (FAC) for the first unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu.

• The FAC is an important step towards the beginning of power production. 

• Clearance for the FAC, however, does not mean the stage is set for the commissioning of the plant soon.

• The AERB would review the results of the tests before giving clearance for the next stage of commissioning, which would entail a phased increase in the power level of the reactor. 

• Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, AERB clearance, controlled nuclear fission process, First Approach to Criticality

SC curbs acid sale

According to the Central Government guidelines, no one will be able to purchase acid without submitting a photo ID. Also, shopkeepers who sell acid will have to obtain a licence to do the same.

The guidelines come after the Supreme Court hauled up the government for not having done enough to check the sale and purchase of acid to curb the incidents of acid attacks.

The court was hearing a PIL filed in 2006 by an acid attack victim Laxmi. She sought a total ban on the sale of acid and compensation. She had also sought an amendment to the existing criminal laws or framing of a new law to deal with such offence.