Haryana State PCS

• 07 Jun 2024

Haryana CM Administered Oath

Why in News?

Recently, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was administered the oath of legislator by the Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta.

Key Points

• The CM contested the by-election for the Karnal assembly seat after he replaced the previous Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
  • Polling for the state's 10 Lok Sabha seats and the Karnal assembly constituency was held in the sixth phase of the general election on 25^th May 2024 and the results were declared on 4^th June 2024.

By-elections (Bypolls)

• About:
  • By-elections are also known as bypolls or special elections, which refer to elections held to fill vacant seats in the legislative bodies of India.
  • It serves as a vital component within the broader electoral cycle and complements regular elections by addressing unforeseen vacancies.
• Purpose:
  • The primary objective of bypolls is to ensure the timely filing of vacant seats, enabling the representation of the affected constituency or district in the legislative body.
• Occurrence:
  • Bypolls are conducted when a seat in the legislature becomes vacant due to reasons such as the death, resignation, disqualification, or expulsion of a sitting member.
• Timeframe:
  • Section 151A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 mandates the Election Commission to fill the casual vacancies in the Houses of Parliament and State Legislatures through bye elections within six months from the date of occurrence of the vacancy, provided that the remainder of the term of a member in relation to a vacancy is one year or more.
    • Hence, there is no need to hold bye elections if the remaining term of the Lok Sabha is less than one year from the date of occurrence of vacancies.

SC Directs Haryana to Facilitate Flow of Surplus Water

Why in News?

Recently, the Supreme Court allowed Himachal Pradesh to release 137 cusecs (a unit of flow equal to 1 cubic foot per second) of surplus water and directing the Haryana government to ensure uninterrupted flow of this water to Delhi from the Hathnikund barrage to address the drinking water crisis.

Key Points

• The court asked the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) to measure water released by Himachal Pradesh at Hathnikund in Haryana.
• Amid the water shortage in the national capital, the Delhi government had approached the Supreme Court to get immediate additional water from neighbouring Haryana.
  • Delhi government in its plea said that it is constrained to file the petition on account of the acute shortage of water being faced by the people of Delhi, triggered by the ongoing severe heat conditions in North India, particularly in Delhi.

Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB)

• Upper Yamuna River Board is a subordinate office under Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and National Capital Territory of Delhi on 12^th May, 1994 regarding allocation of utilizable surface flow of River Yamuna upto Okhla Barrage among the co-basin States.
  • The MoU provides for creation of a board called Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB).