Whatsapp 93125-11015 For Details
Declaring as “not valid in law” the two tenure extensions granted by the government to Sanjay Kumar Mishra, Director of Enforcement Directorate, beyond the September 8, 2021 cut-off date it had fixed, the Supreme Court Tuesday said he can continue on the post only until July 31.
This cuts short Mishra’s stint as the ED chief. In November last year, the 1984-batch IRS officer was granted a second tenure extension up to November 18, 2023.
The bench of Justices B R Gavai, Vikram Nath and Sanjay Karol, however, upheld as constitutional the amendments made to the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, The Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, and the Fundamental Rules in 2021, enabling the tenure extension.
The bench’s directions came on a clutch of petitions including those filed by Jaya Thakur of Congress and Mahua Moitra of the TMC.
In a Twitter post hours later, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “Those rejoicing over the Hon’ble SC decision on the ED case are delusional for various reasons: The amendments to the CVC Act, which were duly passed by the Parliament, have been upheld. Powers of the ED to strike at those who are corrupt and on the wrong side of the law remain the same.”
Slew of pacts, strategy to students, 25yr plan as PM heads to Paris (Page no. 1)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
A 25-year vision statement for India-France bilateral ties, a private dinner at the Elysee Palace, guest of honour at the Bastille Day parade, and a state banquet at the Louvre Museum — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Paris later this week is high on both symbolism and substance.
Besides the vision document, sources said ambitious outcomes are expected on defence, space, geo-strategy, infrastructure, energy, climate action, museology, student mobility, people to people, sports, culture. Separate joint statements are expected on Indo-Pacific, as well as on the strategic pillar.
While French President Emmanuel Macron will host Modi at the Elysee Palace for a private dinner on July 13, he is also expected to host a state banquet at the Louvre Museum the next day. Sources said Macron may also take Modi for a tour of the museum.
Sources said that since Modi’s visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the India–France strategic partnership, and France is a key strategic partner for India, the vision statement will be an opportunity to chart the course for the next 25 years, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of India’s independence in 2047.
GST council: 28% tax on online gaming, casinos and horse racing (Page no. 1)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, in its 50th meeting, decided to levy a uniform 28 per cent tax on full face value for online gaming, casinos and horse-racing, while reducing the rate for uncooked/ unfried snack pellets, cancer medicine and imitation zari thread.
The meeting also clarified the rate for food and beverages sold inside multiplexes and the definition of all utility vehicles to bring parity for cess levy.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the intent was not to end any industry linked to online gaming, casinos and horse-racing, but there was discussion on the moral question of whether these should be taxed at the same rate as essential items.
The tax would be levied on full value of bets or full value of consideration paid. Earlier, the ministerial panel on online gaming, casinos, horce-racing had discussed the other option of levying tax on gross gaming revenue or platform fee, that is, the charge paid to avail the gaming services, but it did not find favour.
Explained
Moon’s South pole: Why Chandrayaan-3 will go where no craft has (Page no. 11)
(GS Paper 3, Science and Tchnology)
Set to be launched from Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota, Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third lunar mission. It is a follow-up to the 2019 Chandrayaan-2 mission, which partially failed after its lander and rover couldn’t execute a soft-landing on the Moon.
According to Isro officials, the Chandrayaan-3 will reach the lunar orbit almost a month after its launch, and its lander, Vikram, and rover, Pragyaan, are likely to land on the Moon on August 23.
Notably, the landing site of the latest mission is more or less the same as the Chandrayaan-2: near the south pole of the moon at 70 degrees latitude. If everything goes well, the Chandrayaan-3 will become the world’s first mission to soft-land near the lunar south pole.
All the previous spacecraft to have landed on the Moon have landed in the equatorial region, a few degrees latitude north or south of the lunar equator.
The furthest that any spacecraft has gone from the equator was Surveyor 7, launched by NASA, which made a moon landing way back on January 10, 1968. This spacecraft landed near 40 degrees south latitude.
Why Turkey is opposing Sweden’s bid to join the NATO alliance (Page no. 11)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
When long-neutral Sweden applied for NATO membership together with Finland, both expected a quick accession process. More than a year later, Finland is in, but Sweden is still in the alliance’s waiting room.
New entries must be approved by all existing members and as NATO leaders meet for a summit in Vilnius, Sweden is missing the green light from two: Turkiye and Hungary.
A major obstacle was overcome Monday when Turkiye’s president agreed to send NATO’s accession documents to the Turkish Parliament for approval, something he had refused to do for more than a year.
That means Sweden is now close to becoming NATO’s 32nd member, though not quite yet over the finish line. Here’s what to know about Sweden’s tumultuous road toward joining the alliance.
For a country that hasn’t fought a war in two centuries, the decision to join NATO was huge. Sweden declined to take sides during both world wars and throughout the Cold War, embracing neutrality as core to its security policy and even its national identity.
Though it tweaked its status to “nonaligned” after joining the European Union in 1995 and gradually increased cooperation with NATO, Stockholm until last year ruled out applying for membership, with public opinion firmly against it.
Ideas Page
Next tango in Paris (Page no. 13)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Paris this week is expected to produce a bounty of new agreements, especially in defence and space, and raise the bilateral strategic partnership to a higher level.
The visit is not just about what advanced technologies and arms Paris can give Delhi. It also highlights a theme not often discussed — what India can do for France and Europe.
Reflecting on that proposition should not be difficult if you notice the contingent of Indian armed forces marching smartly down Champs-Elysees during the Bastille Day celebrations. Those young men and women remind us of India’s forgotten past contribution to European security.
Nearly one million Indian soldiers in the First World War and two million in the Second helped secure peace in Europe at critical moments.
Unlike his predecessors in Delhi, who chose to ignore this history, PM Modi has sought to remember and respect India’s consequential contribution to European and global security.
Since his first visit to Paris in 2015, when Modi visited the memorial for the Indian soldiers who fought for Europe in the First World War, paying homage to our fallen men worldwide has become a part of our diplomatic practice.
During his visit to Tanzania last week, the external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar paid homage to the Indian troops buried at the Commonwealth War Memorial in Dar-es-Salaam.
Their sacrifices in various theatres of war are an important aspect of our history. They are a reminder of India’s global impact.
World
NATO is open to Ukraine; Zelenskyy says no membership timeline absurd (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hit out the 31-member NATO alliance after the members said they would allow Ukraine to join the alliance “when allies agree and conditions are met". Following this statement, Zelenskyy blasted the organization’s failure to set a timetable for his country as “absurd."
Although many NATO members have funneled arms and ammunition to Zelenskyy’s forces, there is no consensus among the 31 allies for admitting Ukraine into NATO’s ranks.
Zelenskyy pushed back sharply against the decision as he headed to the annual NATO summit in Vilnius. It’s unprecedented and absurd when a time frame is set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership.
While at the same time, vague wording about ‘conditions’ is added even for inviting Ukraine. It seems there is no readiness to invite Ukraine to NATO or to make it a member of the Alliance.
NATO membership would afford Ukraine protection against a giant neighbour that annexed its Crimean Peninsula almost a decade ago and more recently seized vast swaths of land in the east and south. Joining NATO would also oblige Kyiv to reform its security institutions, improve governance and curb corruption — work that would also ease the country's path into the European Union.
Economy
GST council meet Opp states raises concerns over inclusion of GSTN under PMLA (Page no. 15)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Some opposition-ruled states raised concerns over inclusion of Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) under the purview of the Prevention of Money-laundering Act without any formal discussion in the GST Council. The Council is holding its 50th meeting in Delhi today.
The issue was raised by Delhi’s Finance Minister Atishi in the meeting with support from Punjab’s Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema.
Atishi said at a time when the Centre is misusing powers of the Enforcement Directorate, businesses are concerned about greater scrutiny by investigative agencies. For the growth of the economy, we have to ensure businesses function smoothly.
The government on July 7 through a notification has brought GSTN under the ambit of PMLA that will facilitate sharing of information between the GSTN, Enforcement Directorate and other investigative agencies.
The changes have been made for provisions under Section 66 of the PMLA, which provides for disclosure of information. In November last year, the government had added 15 agencies to this list including Competition Commission of India, National Investigation Agency, Serious Fraud Investigation Office, State Police, Director General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of External Affairs, National Intelligence Grid, Central Vigilance Commission among others for sharing of information between these agencies and the Enforcement Directorate.