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Rules regarding Suspension of MPs Who can suspend MPs? General Principle: The general principle is that it is the role and duty of the Presiding Officer — Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairman of Rajya Sabha — to maintain order so that the House can function smoothly. In order to ensure that proceedings are conducted in the proper manner, the Speaker/ Chairman is empowered to force a member to withdraw from the House. Rules of Procedure and Conduct: Rule 373: The Speaker can direct a member to withdraw immediately from the House if he finds the member's conduct disorderly. Members so ordered to withdraw shall do so forthwith and shall remain absent during the remainder of the day’s sitting. Rule 374: The Speaker can name a member who disregards the authority of the Chair or abuses the rules of the House by persistently and wilfully obstructing the business thereof. And the member so named will be suspended from the House for a period not exceeding the remainder of the session. A member suspended under this rule shall forthwith withdraw from the precincts of the House.” Rule 374A: Rule 374A was incorporated in the Rule Book in December 2001. In case of gross violation or severe charges, on being named by the Speaker, the member stands automatically suspended from the service of the House for five consecutive sittings or the remainder of the session, whichever is less. Rule 255 (Rajya Sabha): Under Rule 255 of the General Rules of Procedure of the Rajya Sabha, the presiding officer of the House can invoke suspension of the Member of Parliament. The Chairman as per this rule can direct any member whose conduct in his opinion was not right or was disorderly. Rule 256 (Rajya Sabha): It provides for suspension of members. The Chairman can suspend a member from the service of the Council for a period not exceeding the remainder of the Session.

What is the Group of Seven (G7)? It is an intergovernmental organization that was formed in 1975. The bloc meets annually to discuss issues of common interest like global economic governance, international security and energy policy. The G7 countries are the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US. All the G7 countries and India are a part of G20. The G7 does not have a formal charter or a secretariat. The presidency, which rotates among member countries each year, is in charge of setting the agenda. Sherpas, ministers and envoys hammer out policy initiatives before the summit. The 49th G7 summit was held in Hiroshima, Japan.

18th G20 Summit in New Delhi The 18th G20 Summit was held in New Delhi, India on September 9th and 10th, 2023. The summit was the first time India hosted the G20 Leaders' Summit. The theme of the summit was "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", which means "The world is one family". G20 Leaders' New Delhi Declaration achieved unanimous consensus, addressing diverse global issues, from Russia-Ukraine tensions to sustainable development, food security, and launching the Global Biofuel Alliance. What are the Major Outcomes of G20 Summit 2023? Admittance of the African Union (G20 now G21): The G20 leaders agreed to admit the African Union as a permanent member of the G20, which is a major step towards increasing the representation of developing countries in the forum. The Impact of AU's Inclusion in G20: The AU's membership in the G20 offers an opportunity to reshape global trade, finance, and investment and would provide a greater voice to the Global South within the G20. It allows African interests and perspectives to be heard and recognized within the G20. Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA): About: GBA is an India-led initiative that aims to develop an alliance of governments, international organizations, and industry to promote the adoption of biofuels. The initiative seeks to position biofuels as a key component of the energy transition and contribute to job creation and economic growth. It will help accelerate India’s existing biofuels programs such as PM-JIVANYojna, SATAT, and GOBARdhan scheme. As per IEA, there will be 3.5-5x biofuels growth potential by 2050 due to Net Zero targets, creating a huge opportunity for India.

Election Commission of India What is the Election Commission of India? About: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering Union and State election processes in India. It was established in accordance with the Constitution on 25th January 1950 (celebrated as national voters' day). The secretariat of the commission is in New Delhi. The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President in the country. It is not concerned with the elections to panchayats and municipalities in the states. For this, the Constitution of India provides for a separate State Election Commission Constitutional Provisions: Part XV (Article 324-329) of the Indian Constitution: It deals with elections and establishes a commission for these matters. Article 324: Superintendence, direction and control of elections to be vested in an Election Commission. Article 325: No person to be ineligible for inclusion in, or to claim to be included in a special, electoral roll-on grounds of religion, race, caste or sex. Article 326: Elections to the House of the People and to the Legislative Assemblies of States to be based on adult suffrage. Article 327: Power of Parliament to make provision with respect to elections to Legislatures. Article 328: Power of Legislature of a State to make provision with respect to elections to such Legislature. Article 329: Bar to interference by courts in electoral matters. Appointment & Tenure of Commissioners: The President appoints CEC and Election Commissioners. They have a fixed tenure of six years, or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. They enjoy the same status and receive salary and perks as available to Judges of the Supreme Court (SC) of India. Removal: They can resign anytime or can also be removed before the expiry of their term. The CEC can be removed from office only through a process of removal similar to that of a SC judge by Parliament.