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Calling the Russian invasion of Ukraine a “major catastrophe”, visiting Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz said here Saturday that this war, which enters its second year Saturday, violates a fundamental principle that “you do not change borders through the use of violence”.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi listening, Scholz, after their bilateral meeting, said: “India has the presidency of G20 this year, a very responsible task at a difficult point in time. But I’m confident that India will fully comply with what needs to be done in that regard.”
These remarks come a day after India abstained on a resolution criticising Russia. India has consistently abstained in several UN resolutions, and this was the 11th abstention at the UN General Assembly in the last one year.
On the question of securing the supply of food and energy, the German Chancellor said: “We have to make sure that countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America are not too strongly and negatively impacted by the terrible war of aggression that Russia started against Ukraine, and that the impact is not too negative for them.”
He said that dealing with supply shortages is a “priority”. Underlining that the war in Ukraine began a year ago, he said that it has led to immense losses, destroyed infrastructure, rail links, grids and is a “major catastrophe” and “a disaster”.
He said that international law governs international relations and provides the basis for international actions. “It is important that in the United Nations, we time and again, state very clearly where we stand on this subject matter. The world is suffering as a consequence of Russia’s aggression,” he said.
Modi flagged the adverse economic impact of the war and the pandemic and said that both shared their concerns on this issue.
Referring to the effect of the war on developing countries in terms of food, fuel and fertiliser prices, Modi said, “The effects of the Covid pandemic and the Ukraine conflict have been felt across the whole world.
These have had a particularly negative impact on developing countries. We expressed our shared concern about this. We agree that these problems can only be solved through joint efforts. Even during India’s presidency of the G20, we are stressing on this.”
G-20 finance meet ends no consensus (Page no.1)
(GS Paper 2, International Organisation)
The first meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) in Bengaluru under India’s presidency stopped short of issuing a Communique of its resolutions and released instead a “Chair’s Summary and Outcome Document” after Russia and China opposed the paragraphs condemning Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The Chair’s Summary and Outcome Document, which was otherwise agreed upon by all members, retained the words of the G20 Bali Leaders’ Declaration (November 15-16, 2022) regarding the Russia-Ukraine war.
Responding to a question on why there was a Chair’s Summary instead of a Communique, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Summary were “exactly what the Bali Leaders’ Summit had come up with.
But, two countries — Russia and China — had reservations. So, with a footnote, certainly a Communique can’t go out. And therefore, it had to be a Chair’s Summary and Outcome Document”.
The two contested paragraphs reiterated the stance of member nations about the ongoing war, and deplored “in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine” while demanding Russia’s “complete and unconditional withdrawal from the territory of Ukraine”.
The “peaceful resolution of conflicts, efforts to address crises, as well as diplomacy and dialogue, are vital,” and Today’s era must not be of war”, the paragraphs opposed by Russia and China underlined.
Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth said Russia and China took the position that finance ministers and central bank governors should not get into geopolitical issues and that the mandate of FMCBG nations was to discuss economic issues.
The summary noted enhancing international policy cooperation and steering the global economy towards securing strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth.
Express Network
Delhi, Berlin to cooperate on innovation tech (Page no.7)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
India and Germany agreed on a vision statement to enhance cooperation on innovation and technology during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The statement said the two countries share a long history of cooperation in science and technology, research and innovation, institutionalised under the framework of the Inter-Governmental Agreement on ‘Cooperation in Scientific Research and Technological Development’, signed in May 1974.
Mirroring the overall deepening of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, cooperation in these areas has become wider, deeper and more comprehensive in the face of evolving needs and skills of the two countries.
The statement said India and Germany acknowledge that digital technologies and solutions could address key development needs and highlight the potential of these digital solutions to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in other parts of the developing world.
Later, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said the leaders discussed progress on Green and Sustainable Development Partnership (GSDP), which India and Germany had launched during Modi’s visit to Berlin for the 6th IGC.
For first time, LCA Tejas to take part in a global air exercise (Page no.7)
(GS Paper 3, Defence)
For the first time, India’s indigenously-made light combat aircraft Tejas will be participating in an international multilateral air exercise — Exercise Desert Flag VIll — in the UAE, reflecting India’s increasing efforts at showcasing the jet at the world stage.
An Indian Air Force contingent comprising of 110 Air Warriors arrived at the Al Dahfra airbase of the United Arab Emirates to participate in the exercise, in which five LCA Tejas and two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft would take part, the IAF said. The exercise is scheduled from 27 February to 17 March.
This is the first occasion when the LCA Tejas shall participate in an international flying exercise outside India,” the IAF said in a statement.
As per the IAF, Exercise Desert Flag is a multilateral air exercise which will see participation from the air forces of the UAE, France, Kuwait, Australia, the UK, Bahrain, Morocco, Spain, Republic of Korea, and the US.
The aim of the exercise is to participate in diverse fighter engagements and learn from the best practices of various air forces.
India has been in talks with several countries to export LCA Tejas, including Argentina and Egypt. India was also hopeful of selling the platform to Malaysia, but the country has signed a deal with Korean Aerospace Industries for supply of 18 FA-50 light combat aircraft.
The aircraft had earlier participated in air shows at Singapore, Malaysia, Bahrain and Dubai.
End discrimination, nurture empathy CJI tells institutes (Page no.8)
(GS Paper 2, Judiciary)
Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Saturday appealed to educational institutions to put an end to “discrimination and nurture empathy” on campus.
Delivering the convocation address at National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (Nalsar), the CJI expressed concern over incidents of students ending their lives and said his heart goes out to the bereaved kin of the victims.
He observed that incidents of suicide by students from marginalised communities are becoming common, referring to the death of a Dalit student at IIT-Bombay.
Recently, I read about the suicide of a Dalit student at IIT-Bombay. It reminded me of the suicide of an Adivasi student in National Law University in Odisha last year.
My heart goes out to the family members of these students. But I also have been wondering where our institutions are going wrong that the students are forced to give up their precious life.
Darshan Solanki, a first-year student from Gujarat, allegedly died by suicide on February 12 on IIT-Bombay campus.
“Incidents of suicides from marginalised communities are becoming common.
These numbers are not just statistics. They are stories sometimes of centuries of struggle. I believe that if we wish to address this issue, the first step is to acknowledge and recognise the problem.
Speaking about the importance of creating empathy among students to end discrimination towards and Adivasi and Dalit students, he said that campuses should stop allotment of hostel rooms based on the marks secured in the entrance tests.
It leads to caste-based segregation, he said. He also criticised the practice of putting lists of marks obtained by students along with their social categories, which marks them out for public humiliation.
Economy
G 20 agrees to tackle debt stress in vulnerable nations, manage crypto (Page no.13)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Even as differences emerged over the wording of the Russia-Ukraine war in Summary after the first G20 meeting of the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) under India’s presidency, there was consensus over addressing debt vulnerabilities of low and middle-income countries and measures to manage crypto assets with a proposed regulatory framework.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the FMCBG arrived at a common position for ‘debt language’. “Vulnerable nations are looking at G20 nations to relieve the debt stress,” she said, adding that four countries – Ghana, Sri Lanka, Zambia and Ethiopia, would benefit from the discussions.
We welcome the conclusion of debt treatment for Chad and call for a swift conclusion of the work on debt treatment for Zambia and Ethiopia. We also look forward to the rapid formation of the official creditor committee for Ghana to work on the requested debt treatment.
Further, we look forward to a swift resolution to Sri Lanka’s debt situation,” Sitharaman said, adding that if a common position for a language on debt could be arrived upon, then the G20 is now standing up to meet the challenges of debt stress which many are facing.