Cabinet sub-committee
Context
The Karnataka government officially announced the composition of the high-level Cabinet sub-committee. Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwar heads the newly formed panel.
Features
- Wage Compliance: The panel will check if the May 22, 2026, minimum wage hike notification aligns with the Union government’s Code on Wages, 2019.
- Industry Concerns: Business groups strongly oppose the 60% average wage increase. They claim it hurts MSMEs and could drive out capital.
- Labour Rights: Trade unions argue that the long-overdue wage hike is necessary to match the current cost of living.
Panel Composition
The sub-committee brings together ministers from key state portfolios to address the economic and legal balance:
- M.B. Patil (Heavy and Medium Industries Minister)
- Santhosh Lad (Labour and Employment Minister)
- Priyank Kharge (Home, IT, BT and e-Governance Minister)
- U.T. Khader (Health and Family Welfare Minister)
- Madhu Bangarappa (Education Minister)
- Vijayanand Kashappanavar (Small Scale Industries Minister)
- H.C. Balakrishna (Municipal Administration Minister)
EU’s carbon tax
Context
BRICS environment and climate ministers have jointly condemned the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), describing the carbon import tax as “unilateral, punitive, discriminatory, and protectionist”.
- The declaration was formalized in a consensual Joint Ministerial Statement during the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting held in New Delhi, India.
Key Grievances and Context
- Impact on Developing Nations: The ministers stated that these carbon-linked trade barriers violate international law and directly undermine climate adaptation and economic resilience in developing countries.
- The Definitive Phase: The friction intensified because the European Union’s CBAM officially entered its mandatory financial phase. Importers must now purchase certificates for embedded emissions, making non-EU products less competitive.
- Affected Sectors: The tax strictly targets carbon-intensive goods, including iron, steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen, and electricity. For example, iron and steel make up roughly 90% of India’s CBAM-exposed exports to the EU.
- Demands for Climate Finance: Alongside the objection, BRICS leaders urged developed nations to urgently fulfill their previous climate pledges, demanding a tripling of international adaptation finance by 2035 to help
What is CBAM?
- CBAM = Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
- It is an EU mechanism that puts a carbon price on certain carbon-intensive goods imported into the EU vulnerable countries handle climate impacts.
Article 142 of the Constitution
Context
Article 142 has again gained attention because the Supreme Court has recently used its extraordinary constitutional powers in cases where ordinary legal remedies may not be sufficient to ensure “complete justice.”
- In 2026, the Court has invoked Article 142 in matters including family disputes and public-interest issues.
Features
What is Article 142?
Article 142 empowers the Supreme Court to pass any decree or order necessary to do “complete justice” in any matter pending before it. When existing laws or procedures are insufficient to provide complete justice, the Supreme Court can use Article 142 to provide an appropriate remedy.
The orders passed under Article 142 are enforceable throughout India.
Constitutional Provision
Article 142 has two important parts:
Article 142(1):
- Supreme Court can pass orders/decrees necessary for complete justice.
- Such orders are enforceable throughout India.
Article 142(2):
- Subject to laws made by Parliament, the Supreme Court has powers regarding:
- securing attendance of persons,
- discovery or production of documents,
- investigation,
- punishment for contempt of itself.
Why is Article 142 important?
- Fills legal gaps
Sometimes legislation does not provide an adequate remedy for a particular situation. Article 142 allows the Supreme Court to prevent injustice. - Ensures substantive justice
The Court is not restricted to merely following procedural requirements when doing so would result in an unjust outcome. - Extraordinary constitutional power
It is a special power of the Supreme Court, not an ordinary power available to every court.
Recent Example
In a 2026 judgment, the Supreme Court considered the use of Article 142 for dissolution of a marriage, examining whether exercising this power would be justified to achieve complete justice.
The Court has also clarified that Article 142 cannot simply be used to rewrite or replace a settlement that parties have already voluntarily concluded and acted upon.
Limitations of Article 142
Article 142 is very wide but not unlimited.
- It cannot be used to override the Constitution.
- It should not be used to replace the legislative function of Parliament.
- It cannot be exercised arbitrarily.
- The Court must use it to advance justice, not to create an entirely new legal framework unrelated to the case.