The recent decision by the Israeli Supreme Court to strike down a law that sought to limit the judiciary's powers. It is important to read this article as it highlights the significance of the independence of the judiciary and the need for checks and balances in a democratic system.
The Israeli Supreme Court has struck down a law passed by the Knesset last year that aimed to limit the judiciary's powers.
The law, passed with 64-0 votes in July 2023, scrapped the reasonability doctrine used by judges to assess government decisions and ministerial appointments.
The law was part of a reform package by the right-religious government to strengthen the government's control over the judiciary.
Despite street protests, the coalition government passed the law's first part in the Knesset.
Supporters of the government argued that the court had no authority to rule on a Basic Law, but the court stated that it had the power to do so.
The court, with a full panel of 15 judges, ruled 12 to 3 in favor of striking down the law that eliminated the reasonability standard.
The reasonability doctrine is used by Israel's courts as well as in other liberal democracies such as Australia, Canada, and the U.K.
The independence of the judiciary is crucial in Israel due to its political system and lack of a written Constitution.
Israel's far-right government was attempting to shift the balance of power in favor of the Knesset, which is dominated by right-wing, pro-settler, and ultra-Orthodox parties.
The Supreme Court has halted this plan, which comes at a difficult time for Prime Minister Netanyahu, whose popularity has declined after failing to prevent a Hamas attack.
The war in Gaza has caused a humanitarian crisis and Israel has not achieved its objectives.
The Israeli military is withdrawing reservists from Gaza to strengthen the economy.
A recent poll shows that 69% of Israelis want elections after the war.
Pressing ahead with the judicial overhaul plan would further weaken the government, and the Prime Minister should focus on ending the war.
As a student preparing for UPSC, it is important to stay updated on current health issues. This article discusses the global disparities in blood collection and the need to prioritize access to blood and its products in order to strengthen the global health architecture. It also highlights the advantages of a hub and spoke model for blood collection and distribution, as well as the need to dispel myths and misinformation around blood donation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the inequalities in public health globally.
Policymakers are recognizing the need to improve the global health architecture to promote economic growth and secure the future.
Key strategies include increasing health financing through international collaborations, adopting digital health solutions, and improving access to medical countermeasures.
Access to blood and its products is crucial for building a resilient global health architecture.
Blood and its products are essential for scheduled surgeries, emergency procedures, and the treatment of conditions like cancer and thalassemia.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported global disparities in blood collection.
Countries in the WHO African region, low-income countries, and lower-middle-income countries receive a disproportionately low amount of global blood donations compared to their populations.
India faces a shortage of over six lakh blood units in 2019-20, impacting critical health-care services.
Shortages of blood units can put accident victims' lives at risk and impact heart surgeries and bone marrow transplants.
The hub and spoke model, where high-volume blood banks act as a hub for smaller blood centres, can address gaps in blood availability and distribution.
This model can enhance the accessibility and availability of blood and its products, especially in resource-constrained settings.
The hub and spoke model can also optimize the utilization of blood and its products by smaller blood centres and reduce losses from expiration.
Over the course of three years, from 2014-15 to 2016-17, a surplus of 30 lakh blood units and related products were discarded due to expiration, degradation, and infections.
The implementation of a hub and spoke model can improve accessibility to safe blood and its products in community health centers and smaller sub-district hospitals.
Misconceptions around voluntary blood donation, such as fear of infections and damaging immunity, contribute to the low number of donors.
Targeted awareness initiatives, including campaigns by the private sector and the use of social media and innovative tools like multi-lingual comics, can dispel these myths and encourage regular and voluntary blood donation.
Blood and its products are central to modern medicine and play a crucial role in the health paradigm.
Political leaders and policymakers need to take steps to strengthen the blood management ecosystem.
Proactive engagement from the industry and active participation of the citizenry are important in this effort.
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