Current Affairs 10 March 2026

Motion to Remove Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla

The second part of the Budget Session of Parliament resumed with a major political development as a motion seeking the removal of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was admitted for discussion.

Key Highlights

• The motion was moved by Congress MPs Mohammad Jawed, K. Suresh, and Mallu Ravi.
• It has been supported by 118 Opposition Members of Parliament.
• Since the motion concerns the Speaker, Om Birla will not preside over the proceedings during the debate.

Who Will Preside?

• In the absence of a Deputy Speaker, the senior-most member of the panel of chairpersons, likely BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, may preside over the debate.

Constitutional Provision

• The removal of the Lok Sabha Speaker is governed by Article 94(c) of the Constitution of India.
• A resolution to remove the Speaker must be passed by a majority of all the members of the Lok Sabha.

Political Context

• The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has about 335 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha.
• The Opposition INDIA alliance has about 230 MPs, which is insufficient to pass the motion.

Procedure for Removal of Speaker

1. A written notice must be submitted to the Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha.
2. At least 14 days’ notice must be given before the motion is discussed.
3. The motion requires support of at least 50 members to be admitted.
4. The debate and voting follow rules under Rules 200–203 of the Lok Sabha Rules of Procedure.

Historical Background

Motions to remove a Lok Sabha Speaker are rare. Previous instances include:

• G. V. Mavalankar (1954)
• Hukum Singh (1966)
• Balram Jakhar (1987)

In all these cases, the motions failed and the Speakers remained in office.

Indian Railways Launches SHINE App for Women Employees

The Indian Railways has launched a dedicated mobile application named SHINE (Sexual Harassment Incident Notification for Empowerment) to enable women employees to report sexual harassment at the workplace.

Key Highlights

• The SHINE app was launched on the occasion of International Women’s Day (8 March).
• It allows women railway employees to lodge complaints of sexual harassment digitally through the Human Resources Management System (HRMS).
• The app aims to ensure safe and confidential reporting of workplace harassment cases.

Finance Commission Grants to Urban Local Bodies

Urban centres in India generate a significant share of the country’s economic activity, contributing around 67% of the GDP and about 90% of government revenues. However, the devolution of funds to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) through Finance Commission grants remains limited.

Key Highlights

• Under the 15th Finance Commission (2021–26), urban local bodies received around ₹1.2–1.3 lakh crore in grants over five years.
• Under the 16th Finance Commission (2026–31), cities are expected to receive ₹3.56 lakh crore, which is roughly ₹75,000 crore per year.
• Despite this increase in absolute numbers, the share of transfers remains about 0.13% of India’s GDP, similar to the previous Finance Commission period.

Urbanisation Context

• India’s urban population crossed 470 million around 2020 and is expected to exceed 600 million during the 2026–2031 period.
• When the grants are spread across this growing population, the per capita financial support for cities remains limited.

Tied Grants and Conditions

A major portion of Finance Commission funds for cities are tied grants, meaning they must be spent only on specific sectors such as:

• Water supply
• Sanitation
• Wastewater management

The 16th Finance Commission also introduced performance-based conditions, linking 20% of funds to specific criteria, including:

• Improving fiscal discipline
• Publishing audited accounts
• Conducting regular local body elections
• Increasing Own Source Revenue (OSR) such as property tax and user charges.

Federal Concerns

Experts argue that these conditions may reduce fiscal autonomy of cities and raise federalism concerns, since urban development is constitutionally a State subject.

India–Seychelles Joint Military Exercise LAMITIYE-2026

An Indian Armed Forces contingent arrived in Seychelles to participate in the 11th edition of the Joint Military Exercise “LAMITIYE-2026” with the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF).

Key Highlights

• Exercise Name: LAMITIYE-2026
• Meaning of LAMITIYE: Friendship in the Creole language
• Location: Seychelles Defence Academy, Seychelles
• Duration: 9–20 March 2026
• Nature of Exercise: Biennial joint military exercise

NHAI Releases First National Highways Green Cover Index (NH-GCI) Report 2025–26

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has released the first Annual Report on the National Highways Green Cover Index (NH-GCI) for 2025–26. The report provides a scientific and quantitative assessment of green cover along National Highways in India.

Key Highlights

• Prepared in collaboration with: National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• Objective: To measure the extent of plantation and vegetation along National Highways.
• Technology Used: High-resolution satellite imagery detecting chlorophyll content to identify vegetation.
• Measurement Method: NH-GCI is expressed as a percentage of green cover within the Right of Way (RoW) of highways.
• Granularity: Data analysed every 1 kilometre of highway stretch.

Coverage of the First Assessment

• Around 30,000 km of National Highways were analysed.
• The study covered 24 States.
• Assessment period: July–December 2024.

Institutional Framework

• The initiative is part of a three-year MoU signed in January 2024 between NHAI and NRSC.
• Future annual assessments will track changes in green cover and help rank states/regions based on plantation performance.

Disclaimer: This article is prepared for competitive exam preparation using publicly available information.